Mark Seidel's Blog: 2009 Draft Rankings

John Tavares is ranked No. 2 by NACS. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)

Mark Seidel
2008-04-08 12:19:42

I have released our newest rankings for the 2008 NHL Entry Draft in Ottawa (listed at the bottom of this blog) but I also want to focus on next year’s draft that will be held in Montreal.

Much like this year, it should be a deep and solid draft that has big names at the top. I’ll be doing another blog in a couple days that will be addressing a comment that I made a couple months ago about how it can be risky for teams to take players out of the USHL, the NAHL, U.S. High School or Canadian Jr. A.

I feel my opinion needs much more explanation and I think my perspective might be interesting for readers.

2009 NHL Entry Draft Rankings

#1 – Victor Hedman – D - 6’7, 220 Lbs – Modo (SWE)As much as everyone has called the 2009 NHL Entry Draft the coming out party for OHL phenom John Tavares, at NACS, we currently have Victor Hedman as the best available prospect. He is a 6-foot-7 behemoth with very good feet for his size, a huge wingspan and a little bit of nastiness that keeps his opponents on the wary side. He has developed a booming shot from the point and continued to develop to the point that he is no longer the next Zdeno Chara (which we label every defenseman over 6-foot-6 who has distinct deficiencies in their game) but rather his height is just another plus in a long list of excellent skills and traits that make him a sure-fire NHL stud defender.

#2 – John Tavares – C - 6’1, 205 Lbs. – Oshawa GeneralsSome will question our ranking of Tavares because we have been such huge fans of Tavares since his entry into the OHL, but much like in years past, we feel strongly that the opportunity to add a franchise defenseman is far more valuable than a franchise center. His game has been critiqued more than any prospect to ever play the game, but in our eyes, he will become an offensive superstar who will both score and create chances at a high level. His biggest weakness is his skating, but we feel increased leg strength will continue to have him improve to the point where it will be a non-factor. His vision, creativity, hand/eye coordination and imagination will be so good that, much like Crosby and Ovechkin, he will become a marketing centerpiece for whatever team drafts him.

#3 – Jared Cowen – D - 6’5, 215 Lbs. – Spokane ChiefsAnother franchise defenseman who has the whole range of skills is Jared Cowen of the Spokane Chiefs. The former first overall pick in the WHL Draft has developed very nicely and in other years, he could easily be the first overall pick if Hedman and Tavares weren’t late born ‘89s. It is easy to assume at his size he will be very good defensively, but his offensive game has really advanced, which reminds us of Jay Bouwmeester (without quite the foot speed) when he was terrorizing opponents in the WHL. Needless to say, Cowan will have quite the challenge ahead of him if he wants to move up in the rankings, but even if he doesn’t, these three are quite the trifecta to start the ’09 draft.

#4 – Matt Duchene – C - 5’11, 190 Lbs. – Brampton BattalionThe next Stan Butler-coached star heading into the NHL will be Matt Duchene of the Brampton Battalion. The new NHL is very focused on speed and creativity and this kid has these qualities in spades. He is one of the rare young athletes who has the ability to do creative things at full speed, which is very difficult for defensemen of any age to handle. Although the Battalion was ousted in the first round of the OHL playoffs, it wasn’t for the lack of effort of Duchene or his highly coveted teammate for this year’s draft, Cody Hodgson. It should be interesting to watch these two weave their magic over the next couple years.

#5 – Jordan Schroeder – 5’10 – RW, 175 Lbs. – U.S. Under-18sThe first American product in the draft will be the small but supremely talented Jordan Schroeder of the US Under 18 NTDP. Those who watched the World Junior Championship were treated to this kid’s offensive prowess and it was all the more impressive when you factor in he had just turned 17 a few months before heading overseas. In the tourney, he only trailed James van Riemsdyk, the second overall pick last year, and Nikita Filatov, this year’s highly coveted Russian superstar, in scoring. Although his offense is certainly impressive, his competitiveness and grit are also through the roof, which make a great combination for this future Minnesota Golden Gopher.

#6 – Brayden Schenn – F - 6’1, 195 Lbs. – Brandon Wheat KingsThe younger brother of this year’s top 10 pick, Luke Schenn, was the WHL’s leading scorer among rookies this season and his performance at the World Under-17’s was so dominant that it reminded us of Jonathan Toews’ performance during the 2005 championship in Lethbridge. Schenn is talented in the offensive end and he has enough grit from getting beat up by his older brother over the years. That combination will see him become a sure-fire top 10 pick and he has the abilities to certainly jump into the top five before next year’s draft.

#7 – Magnus Svensson-Paajarvi – 6’1 - LW, 195 Lbs. – Timra (SWE)Another youngster who opened some eyes at this year’s World Junior Championship was the 16-year-old phenom from Sweden. Much has been written over the years about Svensson-Paajarvi and he certainly needs to put on some muscle, but much like Schroeder, he has tremendous offensive abilities. Some have suggested he may be interested in coming to play in the CHL and we would certainly encourage that move because his toughness has been a question mark surrounding him. We feel that he will be fine and the CHL is the league in which he can show it.

#8 – Landon Ferraro – 6’0 – C, 170 Lbs. – Red Deer RebelsThe highly talented son of former NHLer Ray Ferraro is the next in a long line of second-generation stars who grew up around the game and a high hockey IQ is the result. Although Ferraro is talented offensively, it’s the intangibles, competitiveness and leadership of the Red Deer Rebel that is what is most attractive about him as a prospect. His ice time in Red Deer wasn’t as high as he was accustomed to, but we see a lot of Mike Richards in this kid and although we are positive he’ll have a much better statistical season next year, it’s the intangibles that we feel will separate him from the pack as next season progresses.

#9 – Tomas Vincour – 6’2 – RW, 205 Lbs. – Edmonton Oil KingsThe former first overall pick in the 2007 CHL European Import Draft, Vincour had a solid, if not spectacular, rookie season in the WHL. The Oil Kings had a long year and were outgunned most nights, but the big, lanky center led the team in scoring while becoming acclimated to the North American game. We feel he has all of the tools to put it together and have a great sophomore season out west.

#10 – Jimmy Bubnick – 6’2 – C, 195 Lbs. – Kamloops BlazersWe have to admit we had Jimmy Bubnick a little higher in our rankings until we watched him play in the playoffs this year when he struggled noticeably. We knew the Blazers as a whole were severely overmatched by Tri City, but Bubnick looked lost at times. His rookie season was good in general and his highlight of the year would have to have been the Under-17 Championship, where he dominated at times and was a leader on a good Team West. He has a great frame and some good hands and despite a tough orientation into playoff hockey in the Dub, we still feel he will be a top 10 pick in next year’s NHL draft.

Please look for my piece on drafting out of the non-traditional leagues in a few days and until then, thanks for reading.

NACS 2008 NHL Draft Rankings

Rk

Name

Height

Weight

Position

Team

Birthdate

1

Steven Stamkos

6'1

183

RC

Sarnia Sting

Feb-90

2

Alex Pietrangelo

6'4

202

RD

Niagara IceDogs

Jan-90

3

Drew Doughty

6'1

209

LD

Guelph Storm

Dec-89

4

Nikita Filatov

6'0

170

LW

CSKA

May-90

5

Zach Bogosian

6'2

202

RD

Peterborough Petes

Jul-90

6

Luke Schenn

6'2

210

RD

Kelowna Rockets

Nov-89

7

Kyle Beach

6'3

205

LW

Everett Silvertips

Jan-90

8

Colten Teubert

6'3

197

RD

Regina Pats

Mar-90

9

Zach Boychuk

5'10

190

LC

Lethbridge Hurricanes

Nov-89

10

Colin Wilson

6'1

200

LC

Boston University

Oct-89

11

Josh Bailey

6'1

190

LC

Windsor Spitfires

Oct-89

12

Cody Hodgson

5'11

185

RC

Brampton Battalion

Feb-90

13

Colby Robak

6'3

195

LD

Brandon Wheat Kings

Apr-90

14

Michael Del Zotto

6'0

190

LD

Oshawa Generals

Jun-90

15

Mikkel Boedker

5'11

200

RW

Kitchener Rangers

Dec-89

16

Tyler Cuma

6'1

190

LD

Ottawa 67's

Jan-90

17

Tyler Myers

6'7

205

RD

Kelowna Rockets

Feb-90

18

Mikhail Stefanovich

6'2

200

RW

Quebec Remparts

Nov-89

19

Luca Sbisa

6'2

190

LD

Lethbridge Hurricanes

Jan-90

20

Jared Staal

6'3

200

RW

Sudbury Wolves

Aug-90

21

Mattias Teddenby

5'9

170

LW

HV 71 Jrs.

Feb-90

22

James Livingston

6'2

200

RW

Sault Ste. Marie

Mar-90

23

Brandon Burlon

6'1

190

LD

St. Mikes Buzzers

Mar-90

24

Phillippe Cornet

6'0

180

LC

Rimouski

Mar-90

25

Cody Goloubef

6'1

180

RD

University of Wisconsin

Nov-89

26

Mitch Wahl

5'11

195

RC

Spokane Chiefs

Jan-90

27

Harri Sateri

6'0

190

G

Tappara

Dec-89

28

Kirill Petrov

6'2

220

LW

Ak Bars Kazaan

Apr-90

29

A.J. Jenks

6'2

205

LW

Plymouth Whalers

Jun-90

30

Philip McRae

6'2

195

LC

London Knights

Mar-90

31

Patrice Cormier

6'2

200

LC

Rimouski

Jun-90

32

Josh Brittain

6'4

210

LW

Kingston

Jan-90

33

Evgeni Grachev

6'4

217

RW

Yaroslavl

Feb-90

34

Tyler Beskorawany

6'4

205

G

Owen Sound Attack

Apr-90

35

Yann Sauve

6'2

215

LD

Saint John Seadogs

Feb-90

36

Kristoffer Berglund

5'10

180

LD

Bjorkloven

Aug-88

37

James Wright

6'3

185

LC

Vancouver Giants

Mar-90

38

Eric O'Dell

5'11

165

RC

Sudbury Wolves

Aug-90

39

Chris Carrozzi

6'3

190

G

St. Michaels Majors

Mar-90

40

Greg Nemisz

6'3

200

RC

Windsor Spitfires

Jun-90

41

Kevin Poulin

6'1

205

G

Voctoriaville

Apr-90

42

Peter Delmas

6'2

175

G

Lewiston Maineiacs

Feb-90

43

Corey Trivino

6'1

170

LC

Stouffville Spirit

Jan-90

44

Viktor Tikhonov

6'2

190

RW/C

Cherepovets

May-88

45

Johan Motin

6'1

205

RD

Bofors

Oct-89

46

Shawn Lalonde

6'1

175

RD

Belleville Bulls

Mar-90

47

Eric Doyle

6'4

190

RD

Swift Current Broncos

Apr-89

48

Roman Josi

6'0

186

LD

SC Bern

Jun-90

49

Robbie Czarnik

6'1

175

RW

US Under 18's

Jan-90

50

John Carlson

6'2

215

RD

Indiana

Jan-90

51

Jordan Eberle

5'10

175

RC

Regina Pats

May-90

52

Thomas McCollum

6'2

205

G

Guelph Storm

Dec-89

53

Mark Barberio

6'1

210

LD

Moncton Wildcats

Mar-90

54

Tomas Kundratek

6'1

185

RD

Trinec

Dec-89

55

Tyler Ennis

5'9

160

LC

Medicine Hat

Oct-89

56

David Toews

5'11

180

LW

Shattuck St. Mary's

Jun-90

57

Geordie Wudrick

6'2

200

LW

Swift Current Broncos

Apr-90

58

Jimmy Hayes

6'5

215

RW

US Under 18's

Nov-89

59

Grant Scott

6'4

210

RW

US Under 18's

Jan-90

60

Jamie Arniel

5'11

185

RC

Sarnia Sting

Nov-89

61

Robert Mayer

6'2

195

G

Saint John

Oct-89

62

Joe Colborne

6'5

190

LC

Camrose Kodiaks

Jan-90

63

Nathan Moon

6'0

185

RW

Kingston

Jan-90

64

Philip Larsen

6'1

180

RD

Frolunda Jrs.

Dec-89

65

Steven Delisle

6'6

210

RD

Gatineau

Jul-90

66

Steven West

6'0

195

RD

US Under 18's

Feb-90

67

Jake Gardiner

6'1

175

LD

Minnetonka

Jul-90

68

Milan Doczy

6'5

210

RD

Owen Sound

Jan-90

69

Michael Stone

6'2

190

RD

Calgary Hitmen

Jun-90

70

Justin Florek

6'5

195

LW

US Under 18's

May-90

71

Cody St. Jacques

6'0

185

G

Guelph Storm

May-90

72

Vyacheslav Voinov

5'11

200

RD

Chelyabinsk

Jan-90

73

Lukas Stoop

6'0

180

RD

Davos

Mar-90

74

Maxime Sauve

6'0

175

LC

Val D'Or

Jan-90

75

Anton Gustafsson

6'3

205

LC

Frolunda Jrs.

Feb-90

76

Matt Zarbo

6'2

190

LW

Boston Jr. Bruins

May-90

77

Nate Condon

6'0

180

LC

Wassau West

May-90

78

Vinny Saponari

6'0

180

RW

US Under 18's

Apr-90

79

Stefan Della Rovere

6'0

200

LW

Barrie Colts

Feb-90

80

Chet Pickard

6'2

210

G

Tri-City

Dec-89

81

Adam Henrique

6'0

185

LC

Windsor Spitfires

Feb-90

82

Michael D'Orazio

6'0

205

RD

Owen Sound

Aug-89

83

Eric Mestery

6'5

200

RD

Tri-City

May-90

84

Joel Champagne

6'3

215

LC

Chicoutimi

Jan-90

85

Chris Doyle

6'0

200

LC

PEI Rocket

Mar-90

86

Nicolas Deschamps

6'1

175

LC

Chicoutimi

Jan-90

87

Jacob Markstrom

6'3

180

G

Brynas

Jan-90

88

Danny Kristo

5'11

175

RW

US Under 18's

Jun-90

89

Eddie Lack

6'4

192

G

Leksand

Jan-88

90

Kruise Reddick

5'9

170

LC

Tri-City

Jul-90

91

Mark Cundari

5'11

200

LD

Windsor Spitfires

Apr-90

92

Anders Lindback

6'6

195

G

Brynas

Apr-88

93

Dmitri Kugryshev

5'10

190

LW

CSKA 2

Jan-90

94

Emil Bejmo

6'0

170

LC

Farjestad

Oct-89

95

Aaron Ness

5'11

190

LD

Roseau HS

May-90

96

Brian Lashoff

6'3

195

LD

Barrie Colts

Jul-90

97

Harry Young

6'5

210

LD

Windsor Spitfires

Nov-89

98

Tomas Kubalik

6'3

190

RW

Plzen

May-90

99

Andrei Loktionov

6'0

190

LW/C

Yaroslavl

May-90

100

Jordan Southorn

6'2

190

LD

PEI Rocket

May-90

Mark Seidel is the chief scout for North American Central Scouting and appears as a host on Leafs Lunch on AM 640 radio in Toronto.